Raw Morality
by SparkbyIrreplaceableSpark
Summary: The aftermath of Claudia being bronzed in "All the Time in the World." What happened between the floor and the bronzing. T for non-con.


**Alright, let's talk about how PHENOMENALLY TERRIBLE that ending was last week in the finale. I cried. For 48 minutes. I'm an English major at a prestigious university, and all I could think was "Auuuuuughhh, this was NOT OKAY." Anyways, please review! Maybe not my best work, but I figured I'd post it anyways. Thanks for reading! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Warehouse 13.**

"Guys- guys, I'm fine!"

Artie gave Claudia one last worried glance over before pulling them all to the office. She winced along the way, trying to hide the pain emanating from her abdomen from her overly cautious partner. He already looked like he wanted to pick her up bridal style and carry her the whole way to the office, just as a precaution. _Such a mother hen._

The four agents were left alone as the seniors disappeared into the restricted files.

As soon as they were gone, Steve turned to look down at the girl by his side.

"Are you _sure_ you are okay?" he asks, blue eyes meeting brown.

"Yes! I keep telling you I'm fine, Jinsky."

"And you keep lying."

She glared at him.

"Nothing I haven't dealt with before" she promised, shaking off his gentle hand. "Hey, what is Pete doing with that statue?"

It was a transparent ploy, but it did the deed. Distracted, Steve left her side, and Claudia yanked Myka into the umbilicus.

The woman looked down in surprise.

"Myka, Listen." Claudia said quickly, "when we get a chance, I need you to take me somewhere. I'd go myself, but I'll need your help."

Myka's eyes widen then narrow as she steps back, looking for injuries on her protégés self. Finding none, she opened her mouth to respond-

"Pete! Myka!"

The boisterous tones of Artie rang out, and sent the A team to Pennsylvania, effectively cutting off any response the older woman would've given. She threw Claudia an apologetic look as Pete dragged her through the umbilicus door ranting about cookies.

Artie practically threw the other pair out as well, claiming he needed peace and quiet until he found another lead.

_Good._ thought Claudia.

Steve casually wrapped an arm around her. As if she couldn't tell he was subtly trying to maintain a better position to catch her if she fell. _She wasn't going to fall._

"Wait, Claude. What do you think you're doing? No way are you driving until we find out the residual effects of this!"

She rolled her eyes from the driver's seat.

"Jinsky! I'm fine!"

"Claudia."

"Fine then, YOU drive."

They set course for the B&B.

"Steve." She said calmly, staring out the window, "now don't freak out, but I need you to take me to hospital instead."

"What? Why? You hate hospitals!" He asked, his eyes opening wide and throwing a glance her way. Last year, when they had all gotten some death virus, she had refused to go to Featherhead United, citing that she would rather die than set foot in a hospital. Artie had forcibly dragged her, but still.

Wincing, she toned her voice down to the softest level she could muster.

"I just want to be checked out. I mean, who knows what that cracking did to me?"

Steve swallowed the words and looked upset.

"What aren't you telling me?"

She sighed and looked at her ripped jeans.

"Paracelsus... Got a hold of me before he bronzed me."

"He _beat_ you? Why didn't you say anything? Where are you hurt?"

"No," she said shaking her head " he didn't beat me, he.."

The car screeched to a halt as Steve turned to look at Claudia. A blank face and dead eyes greeted him even as his throat stopped working.

Like a fish on a wire he couldn't control his voice or his tongue as realization set in. Swallowing forcibly, he opened his mouth and tried again.

"He... He... "

" Yes." She responded her voice breaking.

"And Nick didn't stop him." He said sourly.

"I think, he tried." Claudia said confusedly, "But I was unconscious for most of it and when I woke up Paracelsus had a gun to his head."

Claudia watched as his face slowly turned red and his hands began to shake on the steering wheel. She didn't know what to say to calm him, _was_ there anything to say? It was what it was.

"Just... drive, will you?"

He managed a curt nod and drove off at speeds that would've garnered the attention of spades of cops (if there had been any in the middle of nowhere.) She pretended not to notice. The rest of te ride was in silence, Claudia occasionally wincing, Steve gripping the steering wheel too tightly the whole way.

Then they arrived and Steve rushed out and around before Claudia had the chance to open the door and carefully wrapped her in a hug. A stream of tears she didn't know she had welled up and spilled on Steve's cotton shirt.

He holds her delicately before she shakes him off and walks into the building.

"Yes, hello." Claudia said timidly to the nurse at the check-in desk. She hated nurses. She really hated doctors and she despised hospitals.

The nurse looked up.

"Checking in?"

"Yes."

"I need your name, your main complaint, and you to fill out this form."

"Claudia Nielsen, rape victim, not pressing charges."

"Alright; have a seat and someone will call your name when they are ready for you. Fill out this form, and give it to any nurse."

Claudia began filling out the form and sat next to Steve. He looked at the paper in her hands.

"Claudia Neilsen?"

"Yeah." She muttered, noting she was female, as if they couldn't tell. "Artie and Mrs. Fredric decided it would be best to make me his dependent for insurance purposes when I first came, and it kinda stuck."

"Oh." He replied, watching her fill out the rest of the form.

She leaned her head back on the blue plastic armchair with a fake sarcastic grin.

"You know," she said looking at him out of the corner of her eyes, "if I end up pregnant with a 1500 year old's baby I'm gonna be seriously pissed."

He smiled grimly at her, the light not quite reaching his eyes.

"Yeah, Claude, It's not a "what's the weirdest thing to happen to a warehouse agent" contest. You don't have to win, you know."

She returned the grin.

"I think that would even throw old gramps for a loop."

"Claudia Neilsen?" Claudia grabbed Steve's arm and yanked it up.

"You're coming with me!" She said, her eyes suddenly wild and gripping his hand tightly, not giving him the choice.  
He followed her willingly. It was his job to protect her and he had failed. He died for her, she brought him back, but he died for her. He would so again. When he got that call, he raced to the watehouse as soon as he could. But he was too late. And she had paid the price for his failure. She didn't blame him. But it was his fault. Still, once he found Paracelsus he'd give him the beating of a lifetime for... touching -he gave a shudder- Claudia.

She pulled him down the hall and into the examining room. They took blood, and he was pushed out of the room while they -eh-HEM.- took a look around.

Soon though, he was back at her side. Claudia had a death grip, so he could barely hear the doctor confirm that she had not picked up any STDs and that the pregnancy test would be found in a few weeks.

She sagged into Steve as soon as they got out of the hospital.

"Thank god." she said.

"You're okay then?"

"For now. It'll be a couple hours before they have the results for the pregnancy test. "

She spent the rest of the day staring at her phone and clinging to Steve. When it rang, she jumped up and pressed it to her ear in a flustered state.

Steve waited with clasped hands, following her pacing figure.

"Well?" he asked when she turned off the phone.

She turned to face him with tears in her eyes and collapsed into his arms for the third time today.

"No." said Steve, looking down at her flat stomach. "No, you've got to be kidding me."

He couldn't believe it. She was pregnant. _21 and pregnant_. What would she do? Where would she go? Could she even stay at the Warehouse? This changed everything. He couldn't lose her.

She shook her head.

"Claude, listen to me. You won't have to this alone, okay? I'll- I'll be there every step of the way if you want. "

She let out a hysterical laugh through the sobs. _Oh God, she's lost it._

"I'm not... pregnant. But thanks. Thank you for you know, for always being there for me."

He balked, then began laughing in relief with her. And Pete came in and asked what the commotion was about. And they laughed in his face. And laughter turned to tears and he couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying- hell he couldn't tell if HE was laughing or crying. Pete raised an eyebrow at them and left.

She laid down on Steve, head in his lap.

"Thanks, Jinksy."

She smiled up at him and fell asleep to the soft stroking of his hand on her back.


End file.
